Aid agencies have begun suspending vital operations in Yemen after the recent US and UK strikes on Houthi targets, amid warnings that further military intervention risks deepening one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
A coalition of 23 aid organisations operating within the Gulf state issued a joint statement on Tuesday, warning that military escalation will further compromise their ability to deliver critical services while worsening living conditions for millions of people in Yemen.
Tuesday’s statement, released shortly after reports that another cargo ship had been struck by a missile off the coast of Yemen, read: “Following the US/UK strikes, some humanitarian organisations have been forced to suspend operations over safety and security concerns, while others assess their ability to operate.”
Their intervention came days after airstrikes on targets inside Yemen by the US and UK after attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia group on ships passing through the Red Sea. The Houthis said those attacks were an effort to put pressure on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and that an Israeli ceasefire would immediately lead to the free flow of ships.
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